Many celebrities have pursued undergraduate business degrees. A list of them would include superstars like Sean Combs, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Clint Eastwood. Some entertainers, athletes, and politicians have even earned master’s degrees in business administration (MBAs).
The notable individuals below all have these valuable degrees. What’s more, they’ve put those degrees to excellent use. With their acute business skills, they’ve diversified their careers and built ever greater fortunes.
1. Shaquille O’Neal
In 1992, the Orlando Magic signed Shaquille O’Neal, an extraordinary basketball player at Louisiana State University. Indeed, he was the first overall pick that year. He left LSU before he could complete a degree in business, but he’s made up for it since. After he retired from the NBA in 2011, Shaq got an education degree from Barry University and a University of Phoenix MBA.
Shaq is making the most of his financial and administrative knowledge. His business activities are vast and complex. He owns a Krispy Kreme franchise in Georgia. He’s one of the owners of the Sacramento Kings. He’s invested in large corporations and small technology setups. He’s something of a real estate magnate as well. Obviously, not every business deal can be a slam dunk, but when it comes to athletes turned entrepreneurs, Shaq is definitely an MVP.
2. Dr. Oz
Dr. Mehmet Oz is one of the most famous physicians in the world. He’s a Harvard graduate, a surgeon, an author, and a professor at Columbia University. He made his television debut on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in 2004, and he was such a natural in front of the camera that he got his own daytime program five years later.
As a graduate student at Wharton, Dr. Oz studied for his medical degree while working toward his MBA. He wanted to know all about the business of running clinics and hospitals, believing that this information would make him a more effective doctor.
3. Ina Garten
Ina Garten is as talented with money as she is with food, and that’s saying something. Her nickname is the Barefoot Contessa, which is also the name of the culinary shop she owns in the Hamptons. Ina’s hit show on the Food Network, which premiered in 2002, is likewise called “Barefoot Contessa.”
In the 1970s, Ina studied for an MBA at George Washington University. While a student there, she served as a White House aide. Then, after receiving her master’s, Ina became an analyst at the Office of Management and Budget.
By 1978, though, Ina was looking for a significant career change. She bought her famous store that year. Cookbooks and television appearances followed, and the rest is culinary history.
4. Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie grew up near Los Angeles, and she was a basketball star at the University of Southern California during the early 1990s. In 1997, Lisa began playing in the WNBA. For 12 seasons, she was a center for the Los Angeles Sparks. Her career highlights include winning gold medals at four Summer Olympic Games, being named the WNBA’s MVP four times, and getting inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
With an MBA from the University of Phoenix, Leslie is entirely in charge of her business affairs. As she embarks on new endeavors in fields like acting, broadcasting, and modeling, that expertise should prove extremely useful.
5. Siddharth
Siddharth Suryanarayan, better known as just Siddharth, is a genuine Renaissance man for the 21st century. He’s been a popular actor in Hollywood movies since 2003. He sings, writes screenplays, and produces films, and he’s also directed theatrical productions. Plus, in college, he was a champion debater.
Siddharth holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Delhi’s Kirori Mal College and an MBA from Mumbai’s S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research.
6. George W. Bush
Here’s a trivia question you can ask your friends: Who’s the only president of the United States with an MBA? Many people would guess Donald Trump, and some might think of Herbert Hoover or Franklin Roosevelt. The answer, however, is George W. Bush. He got this advanced degree from Harvard Business School in 1975.
Before he ran for governor of Texas in 1994, Bush was active in business. Among his undertakings, he founded an oil exploration company in 1977, and he was a part owner of the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998. For five years, he even managed the team.
Of course, an MBA can’t guarantee the kind of fame that the people above have enjoyed. Nonetheless, it can ensure that you’ll be in the best position to evaluate the opportunities that come your way. You’ll also manage your ventures as expertly as possible. You’ll be able to focus on projects you love. Not to mention, just like these celebrities, you’re sure to have lots of fun along the way.
